"There were three crew members and 25 passengers on board," the Interstate Aviation Committee said in a statement. "Nineteen people died, the aircraft burnt down," said the statement, citing the surviving crew members.

Of the 25 passengers 11 were children, the emergencies ministry said in a separate statement without providing further details.

The people died when the helicopter performed a hard landing, apparently in bad weather conditions, 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of the small town of Deputatsky in the Yakutia region in Russia's north.

A plane with rescuers and medics on board has arrived at the crash site, said the emergencies ministry, adding that helicopters with more medics and rescue workers have also been dispatched to the scene.